Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Monday, March 30, 2009

Things you will need:* a Yule log* a white candle, a red candle, and a black candle* candle holders for the three candles* a plate of bread and butter* birdseed and sunflower seeds* an apple* a small bell* several cookies in the shape of snowflakes or suns* juice or wine* a medium-sized bowl* mood music (optional)* any solstice decorations for your altar (optional)

Place all of your items on the altar, grouping the three candles together and making sure you have a place to burn your Yule log, either in a fireplace or fire pit. Standing in front of your altar, ground and center as you usually do. Walk to the east and, with your arms extended, say:

“Hail to the Guardians of the East, Powers of Air!I ask for your light and warming breathOn this most sacred of nights, Solstice Eve.”

Once you feel the presence of the knowledge of the east and the freedom of air, move to the south, extend your arms, and say:

“Hail to the Guardians of the South, Powers of Fire!I ask for your heat and burning loveOn this most sacred of nights, Solstice Eve.”

Noting the warmth of the south and the heat of fire, move to the west, extend your arms, and say:

“Hail to the Guardians of the West, Powers of Water!I ask for your depth and fluid emotionsOn this most sacred of nights, Solstice Eve.”

Feel the emotions of the west and the wetness of water on your face and in your heart. Then walk to the north, extend your arms, and say:

“Hail to the Guardians of the North, Powers of Earth!I ask for your strength and sturdy comfortOn this most sacred of nights, Solstice Eve.”Sense the power of the north and the strength of earth and return to your altar. Take a few moments to conjure up an image of the young Maiden Goddess and then say:

“Maiden Goddess,Protectress of youth and innocence,Sweet and pure and lovely above all things,Join me this Solstice Night.The God is reborn;The sun returns.The Maiden Goddess comes and walks among us!Hail and welcome!”

Feel the innocence and beauty of the Maiden settle at your feet and in the palms of your ahnds. Then light the white candle. Breathe deeply three times, allowing an image of the nurturing Mother Goddess to flood your mind. When the image is complete, say:

“Mother Goddess,Protectress of babies and animals,Creative and giving and lovely above all things,Join me this Solstice Night.The God is reborn;The sun returns.The Mother Goddess comes and walks among us!Hail and welcome!”

Sense the fruitfulness and creativity of the Mother settle in your womb/belly and heart. Then light the red candle. Again, take three deep breaths, seeing the image of the knowing Crone Goddess in your mind’s eye. Once the picture is finished, say:

“Crone Goddess,Protectress of light and death,Wise and powerful and lovely above all things,Join me this Solstice Night.The God is reborn;The sun returns.The Crone Goddess comes and walks among us!Hail and welcome!”

Feel the wisdom and clarity of the Crone settle in your third eye, and then light the black candle. Take your bread and butter from the altar and hold them above the three candles while stating:

“On this, the longest night of the year, I celebrate and revel in my connection to the faerie folk. I offer bread and butter to them as a symbol of my wish to continue as friends. In honour, in trust, in fun, and in frolic, I pay homage to their spark of life.”If inside, place the bread and butter back on the altar so that you can dispose of them outside after the ritual. If you are outside, place the offering anyplace that feels right to you. Take the birdseed and sunflower seeds from the altar and hold them above the three candles, saying:

“On this, the longest night of the year, I celebrate and revel in my connection to the animals on earth. I offer birdseed and sunflower seeds to them as a symbol of my wish to continue as friends. In honour, in trust, in hope, and in faith, I pay homage to their spark of life.”

Place the gifts to the animals either back on the altar or, if outside, someplace on the ground. Lift the apple from the altar and hold it above the three candles, stating:

“On this, the longest night of the year, I celebrate and revel in my connection to the priests/priestesses who have gone before me. I offer the fruit of life, the apple, to them as a symbol of my wish to continue as friends and to learn and grow from their example. In honour, in trust, in love, and in commitment, I pay homage to their spark of life.”

Return the apple to the altar or, if outside, place it on the ground. With reverence, pick up the Yule log and hold it up to the sky while saying:

“Since the beginnings of time, people of the earth have gathered in this season to celebrate the rebirth of the Sun. On the winter solstice, the darkest of nights, the Goddess becomes the Great Mother, and once again gives birth to the Sun - beginning the yearly cycle anew, bringing new light and hope to all the world. On this, the longest night of winter, the spark of hope flares strong and bright. It is the Sacred Fire, the Light of the World. I gather here to welcome the new light, midwife to the Goddess. As I join the Goddess in birthing the renewed Sun, I also welcome the new light within myself.”

Place the Yule log back on the altar. Keeping one hand on the log, ring a small bell with the other hand after each of the next four lines:

“Blessed be the Lady, giver of life!Welcome, Lord, bringer of warmth!Tonight darkness has reached the limit of its power.Now the light of our God is victorious over darkness!”

Take your Yule log and bring it to your fireplace or fire pit. If you have a fire already going, then place the log in the flames. If you need to start one, wait to add the Yule log until the fire is very hot and bright. Once the Yule log has caught fire, exclaim:

“I light this flame for the infant solstice sun,The light of hope that pierces the winter darkness.He arises pure and beautifulFrom the depths of the Mother’s womb,Bringing warmth and love and joy.May his gifts spread hope throughout the world!”

The Sun King will be reborn this night, returning to the world in brilliance and glory. As the Goddess’s helper on earth, aid his passage through her and back to the world by chanting:

“Hoof and HornHoof and HornAll that DiesWill be Reborn.

Corn and GrainCorn and GrainAll that FallsWill Rise Again.”

Say this chant over and over again in order to raise power and activate the magick. You should go faster and faster with each round. You may wish to drum and/or dance around the fire as well, or play music. Once the power has reached its apex, place your hands over the fire, sending the power to the birthing Mother and the newborn God, and say:

“Tonight our God is reborn!”

Feel the energy pulse into the fire, and when your fingers stop tingling, return to your altar. Take the place of cookies and hold them over the candles and then over the fire.

“As the Mother births the Son, I toast her power and strength with food. Hail the Mother, giver of life!”

Place a bite of food in the libation bowl and feel free to eat some yourself. Then return the cookies to the altar and pick up the juice or wine. Once again, hold it over the three candles and the roaring fire.

“As the Mother births the Son, I toast her power and strength with drink. Hail the Mother, giver of life!”

Pour a small amount of drink in the libation bowl and drink some yourself. Then return the juice or wine to the altar. After you have savoured your food and drink, turn to your altar. Calling up the image of the Maiden Goddess, state:

“Maiden Goddess,Protectress of youth and innocence,Sweet and pure and lovely above all things,Thank you for joining me this Solstice Night.The God is reborn;The Sun return,Hail and farewell!”

Snuff out the white candle. Thinking of the image of the Mother Goddess, say:

“Mother Goddess,Protectress of babies and animals,Creative and giving and lovely above all things,Thank you for joining me this Solstice Night.The God is reborn;The Sun return,Hail and farewell!”

Snuff out the red candle. Recalling the image of the Crone Goddess, say:

“Crone Goddess,Protectress of life and death,Wise and powerful and lovely above all things,Thank you for joining me this Solstice Night.The God is reborn;The Sun return,Hail and farewell!”

Snuff out the black candle, turn to the direction of the north, and say:

“Guardians of the North, Powers of Earth!Your presence this night has anchored and strengthen me.I thank you for your many blessings.Stay if you will, go if you must.Hail and farewell!”

Turn to the direction of the west, and say:

“Guardians of the West, Powers of Water!Your presence this night has soothed and cradled me,Connecting me to my first home - the sea.I thank you for your many blessings.Stay if you will, go if you must.Hail and farewell!”

Turn in the direction of the south, and say:

“Guardians of the South, Powers of Fire!Your presence this night has opened my heart to life and to love.I thank you for your many blessings.Stay if you will, go if you must.Hail and farewell!”

Turn to the east and say:

“Guardians of the East, Powers of Air!Your presence this night has brought the first stirrings of the new Sun.I thank you for your many blessings.Stay if you will, go if you must.Hail and farewell!”

Turn back to your altar, and say:

“Blessed be the Goddess and God.Blessed be creation.Blessed be the darkness.Blessed be the light!”

Friday, March 20, 2009

1) Conjure up a strong feeling from your past. Think of a particularly difficult situation or relationship that will bring up some reaction in you. Focus on emotional patterns that you consider harmful or difficult rather than happy.

2) Bring your attention to your body. Focus on the sensation that the emotion conjures up in your body. Don’t analyze it or try to mentally figure it out. Simply scan your body, bringing your attention to your head and then down your entire body. Where do you feel the emotion the strongest? There may be more than one place.

3) Disassociate the memory or situation from your bodily sensation. Don’t worry about how you will resolve the situation, or worry about what you regret or would do differently. You can worry about resolving it later. Just focus on the sensation, the feeling itself. Characterize the feeling. How would you describe it? Is it painful? Does it have a temperature? Does it feel electric? Magnetic? Pins and needles? Heaviness? Just describe it to yourself. It probably won’t feel good, but that’s okay because you will be releasing it soon.

4) As you breathe, will this energy from whatever part of the body it is in to move into your chest. Feel it move. As you command, it will move because all your attention is on it. Imagine your heart chakra opening with green or green and pink light. Feel the power of love in your heart. Feel the energy of your trauma pass through the gates of your heart, transmuting it. All uncomfortable sensations cease, and the energy passes out of your heart like a beam of pure light, transmuting into divine love and beaming out to the universe. The love you send out will return to you threefold.

5) Afterward you can do anything else you need to do to restore your inner balance.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

2) Orient yourself in the center of your sacred space. You will notice four doorways around you. You may have never noticed them before, but they will be very clear to you now. Each of the doorways leads to a different elemental plane. Each one will be in a different colour and have a different symbol on it for the element, such as the elemental triangles. By its markings, find the doorway that leads to the realm of earth, and stand before it. Usually the earth doorway is oriented to your northern direction in the temple, but your Inner Temple is beyond direction in the physical world, so go to whatever door calls to you as earth.

3) Hold the intention to enter the realm of earth and in your silent, magickal voice, ask permission to open the door. You are asking permission of the highest aspects of yourself, and the realm of earth.

4) If you get a yes response, open the door of earth. If you know the invoking pentagram of earth, you can use it as your key. Feel the heavy earthen door slowly sway open. In the doorway is a dark tunnel, digging deep to the earth plane. Enter the realm of elemental earth.

5) Feel each step as you walk deeper into the darkness without fear. Feel your body move into the unknown, growing quiet, immobile, and solid. Smell the fresh earth. Feel the sacredness of the land around you.

6) As you move deeper into the tunnel, you lose sight of your inner temple and immerse yourself in the earth sensations. Ahead you find a light, leading you out of the tunnel and into the realm of earth. You find yourself at the edge of a primordial forest, a place of power. This is the edge of the realm of earth, the realm of gnomes and dwarves and their ruler Ghob.

7) Before you there is a path into the heart of the forest. The path pulls you deeper. Take notice of the plants and animals you see in the forest. Walk deeper into the place of earth power. At the end of the path you arrive in a clearing with a mound and an opening. You enter the mound and find yourself in another deep tunnel. The tunnel has minerals and crystals shining in it as you descend into the land.8) At the end of the tunnel is a cavern, and in the center of the cavern, a figure, your personal guide to the element of earth. It could be an elemental being, animal, deity, or angel, there to guide you on the path of earth. Introduce yourself, and ask the guide its name and function. Follow this guide, and receive what your guide has to offer. Since touch is the sense of earth, this experience could be very tactile. Follow your feelings and impressions. Take this wisdom in, and ask any questions you have.

9) Ask your guide upon whom shall you call as your guardian of earth in ritual. Sometimes it is the guide itself, but often the guide will point you to a deity or other being of power.

10) Your guide will lead you back through the mound tunnel, back through the forest, and to the tunnel of earth leading you to the inner temple. Your guide will bid you farewell. Thank your guide for this time and knowledge. Know that you now have a link in the realm of earth. The guide may give you a gift to inspire your own grounding and mastery.

11) Return through the tunnel of earth, feeling each step as you return. Come back to the inner temple, and close the gateway of earth as you opened it. Orient yourself in the temple. If you have a gift from the earth realm, you can put it in your temple space if you desire.

12) Return back through the World Tree tunnel, and stand at the base of the tree. Thank the World Tree. Step back through the screen of your mind’s eye and let the World Tree gently fade from view.

Monday, March 16, 2009

1) Conjure the great World Tree, entering it and going to the Inner Temple.

2) Orient yourself in the center of your sacred space. You will notice four doorways around you. You may have never noticed them before, but they will be very clear to you now. Each of the doorways leads to a different elemental plane. Each one will be in a different colour and have a different symbol on it for the element, such as the elemental triangles or tattvas. By its markings, find the doorway that leads to the realm of water, and stand before it. Usually the water doorway is oriented to your western direction in the temple, but your inner temple is beyond direction in the physical world, so go to whatever door calls to you as water.

3) Hold the intention to enter the realm of water and in your silent, magickal voice, ask permission to open the door. You are asking permission of the highest aspects of yourself, and the realm of water.

4) If you get a yes response, open the door of water. It can open normally or dissolve like salt in water. If you know the invoking pentagram of water, you can use it as your key. In the doorway is a swirling vortex of water, as if a water spouts funnel is covering the gateway, creating a tunnel of water for you to travel. Enter the realm of water.

5) Feel the cool mist all around you with the spinning waters drawing you deeper. Feel the chill in the air as you attune with this elemental energy. The splash and spray clean away all hurt and pains from the past, opening your heart to the love of water.

6) As you move deeper into the tunnel of water, you lose sight of your inner temple and immerse yourself in the element. Ahead you find a light, leading you out of the tunnel and into the realm of water. You find yourself immersed in water, in a vast ocean, yet you can breathe and move with safety and comfort. Take notice of all things around you, the fish, the plants, the sea floor. Feel the currents and temperature shifts. This is the land of undines, mer-folk, undersea kingdoms, and the fabled Niksa.

7) You feel a current pull you, like a beckoning pathway, taking you deeper into the realm of water. You might cross the path of fish, dolphins, or whales. You could find healing sea plants.

8) At the end of the path is a figure, your personal guide to the element of water. It could be an elemental being, animal, deity, or perhaps an angel, there to guide you on the path of water. Introduce yourself, and ask the guide its name and function. Follow this guide, and receive what your guide has to offer. Since taste is the sense of water, not sight or hearing, your guide may not talk a lot or show you things, but impart a sense of feeling, memory, and empathetic communication. Here, feeling is more important thank knowing. Take this wisdom in, and ask any questions you have.

9) Ask your guide upon whom shall you call as your guardian of water in ritual. Sometimes it is the guide itself, but often the guide will point you to a deity or other being of power.

10 Your guide will lead you back to the tunnel of water and bid you farewell. Thank your guide for this time and knowledge. Know that you now have a link in the realm of water. The guide may give you a gift to inspire your emotion and love, or give you a drop of compassion to carry within you.

11) Return through the tunnel of water, moving through the mist and water. Come back to the inner temple, and close the gateway of water as you opened it. Orient yourself in the temple. If you have a gift from the realm of water, you can pout it in your temple space if you desire.

12) Return back through the World Tree tunnel, and stand at the base of the tree. Thank the World Tree. Step back through the screen of your mind’s eye and let the World Tree gently fade from view.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Take a deep breath, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Take another deep breath, filling your stomach, your diaphragm, and finally your lungs. Hold this breath for five seconds… 1-2-3-4-5... And exhale, allowing the breath to exit your lungs first, then your diaphragm, and finally your stomach. Take one more deep breath, and as you breathe in, feel the energy and the wonder of the world around you in your fingers, your toes, your legs and shoulders, even the top of your head. Hold the breath for seven seconds…1-2-3-4-5-6-7... As you exhale, feel all the tension leave your fingers, your toes, your legs and shoulders, even the top of your head. Feel the fertile earth under your body, expectant and waiting - waiting for the burgeoning warmth of the sun, waiting for the frost to lift. Cool to the touch yet bracing, the earth sweeps away any of your hidden fears. You are free of worry and anxiety. Free to frolic with the snowflakes on the wind. Free to expose your wild side to the white wonderland around you. Take a deep breath in and feel the icy air stimulating every nerve, every cell, in your body. Continue breathing deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Allow the earth to hold and support your body. Allow the wind to blow away any remaining fear and to hold and support your body. Allow the wind to blow away any remaining fear and anxiety. You have never felt so relaxed, so secure, so calm.

You are walking in the depths of a great forest. It is night, by the moon is full and the stars twinkle brightly in the midnight blue sky. The tree branches are bare, allowing the glow of the moon to light your way from above. You are on a path that is covered with snow and mud. Snow rests on some of the tree branches and as you look up to inspect them, you sniff, smelling snow on the wind. An owl hoots off to your right. You see his big, round eyes flash briefly in the dark before his wings swoop past you.

Your boots are sturdy with a thick, steadying tread, yet your toes are numb from the cold. Your fingers in their mittens are also chilled to the bone, and you can no longer feel your nose. You wrap your woollen cape more snuggly around your body and trudge onward. Clasping your protective talisman between frozen fingers, you look down at the muddy, snowy ground on either side of the narrow path. Not relishing an evening sleeping outdoors, you hope for a tavern up ahead. The forest is thick and dense with pine trees. No sound greets your ears, save the whispering sigh of the breeze through the pine needles. You sigh along with the wind, seeing your breath form a white plume before you. Even an abandoned hunting cabin would suffice at this time of the night, you think to yourself. You glance at the movement of the stars. The Wheel has almost completed its turn.

You pull your weary gaze from the star-strewn sky and skid to a stop. There, before you, in a small clearing, stands a small, stone cottage. White smoke belches from the tiny chimney, and a lantern in the window sends a soft, golden signal of welcome. You walk to the cottage (pause) and raise your fist to knock on the dark-red door.

Before you can land even a fingernail on the door, it swings open and a white-haired woman steps out, a bucket in hand.

“Good,” she exclaims as she tosses the contents of the bucket over your shoulder and into the cottage yard. “We’ve been waiting for you.” She bustles back into the house, one hand holding the bucket and the hand fumbling around in her pink-flowered apron. You stand at the threshold, completely surprised by your welcome. “Well, don’t just stand there letting all the warm air out.” The old woman looks at you crossly. “Come on in!” You step into the cottage and the door slams shut behind you.

“Give me your cloak, dearie. You won’t need that here.” The old woman is suddenly behind you, nimbly unclasping your cape and placing it on a wrought-iron hook next to the doorway. “Can you put another log on the fire?” she asks you, pointing to the enormous fireplace that takes up the whole right-hand wall of the cottage. “The time is almost here,” she states, striding toward some shelves with jars on them in the darkened recesses of the cottage. “I must prepare myself.” She is swallowed by the darkness and you can no longer see her. However, the click and clatter of glass jars being moved remind you that she has not vanished entirely.

You walk over to the fire and pick up a heavy log. A very large cauldron hangs over the fire from a blackened chain. You peer over its side and sniff hesitantly. A noxious smell invades your nose. You pull back, eyes watering, nose running, sneezing uncontrollably.

“I asked you to put another log on the fire,” the old woman calls from the back of the one-room cottage, “not poke your nose where it doesn’t belong.” You give one last final sneeze, your cheeks burning from exertion and embarrassment, and throw the log on the fire. The flames leap up, greedily devouring the wood, and the contents of the cauldron boil fitfully. The room grows warmer.

“Ah-ha!” The cry of triumph is followed by the strident gait of the old woman as she walks toward the cauldron and toward you. “Got it!” She holds a bit of greenery aloft. Scampering to the window, she looks upward at the stars, pauses for a space of two heartbeats, and then, quick as a fox, throws the herb into the cauldron. Yellow smoke puffs from the cauldron, followed by a loud burp.

“Now’s all we have to do is wait, dearie,” the old woman says, rubbing her hands. “Help me with this.” The old woman shoves a huge bundle of unbleached cotton into your hands. It is soft to the touch, and you stagger under the sheer size of the cloth. You take a step backward and trip over a low, solid item that you’re sure was not there a few moments before. Your feet fly out and you land with a thud on your bottom. The cotton slips from your hands, landing all around you. You feel warm, moist pressure on your hand. Surprised, you pull your hand away and push aside the cloth. Two soft brown eyes look up from the narrow, plumb face of a white sow.

“Pepper, Pepper!” The old woman leans down to scratch the ear of the sow. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear that her hand disappears into the sow. You shake your head. Obviously the fall addled your brain. You laugh to yourself, scratch behind Pepper’s ear, and gather the cotton cloth.

“Don’t mind her,” the old woman says, loading more cloth into your arms. “She gets underfoot sometimes, but she’s a love. Won’t harm ya a wink!” She winks then, a sparkle of mischief in her icy-blue eyes, and pats the large, tough-hewn wooden table. “Put the cloth on here, dearie.” She darts to the back of the cottage, leaving you to struggle with the cloth on your own, with Pepper’s warm, wet nose pushed up against the back of your knees.

For the next several hours you straighten the cloth, separate it into three piles, and fold it. Just as you think you are finished, the old woman asks you to pout another log on the fire, and when you return to the table, the pile of cloth has grown bigger and messier. Throughout the long, dark night, your work continues and the old woman scuttles back and forth from her jars to the fire, throwing in herbs and flowers and muttering incantations. (pause)

Just when you feel that you could not fold another piece of cloth, the old woman exclaims, “It is time!” The sow runs to the cottage door and noses it open The piles of cloth lie neat and tidy on the table, and the fire radiates a low, warm heart. The old woman stands before the cauldron, arms outstretched. She watches the sow, who, in turn, watches the sky. The sky is no longer midnight blue. The gray light of predawn seeps down from the clouds. The trees sway and the first fingers of dawn reach across the sky - pink and light blue and lemon yellow. And then, with a triumphant burst of energy and light and daring and courage, the sun pops above the tree line. At that exact moment, the sow squeals with joy and the old woman reaches her bare hands and arms into the boiling cauldron. A strangling cry of warning dies in your throat as she removes a perfectly formed baby boy from the fiery depths. She cradles him in her arms, ducking down and protecting him with her body… as if she knows. For in the next instant, the cauldron explodes with a loud blast, leaving nothing but a pile of dust and a few shards of twisted metal.

The old woman stands and turns toward you. You bring her a cotton cloth and clean the perfectly formed face of the baby boy in her arms. “The sun is reborn,” the old woman says in a hushed, awe-filled voice. “From the darkness of the longest night, warmth in your heart.” Smiling, despite your fatigue, you reach down and kiss the baby. His almond eyes flare open, touching you with their wisdom and knowledge. A ray of sun envelops him, you, and the old woman in a warming embrace.

Now, take a deep breath, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Take another deep breath, filling your stomach, your diaphragm, and finally your lungs. Hold this breath for five seconds…1-2-3-4-5... And exhale, allowing the breath to exit your lungs first, then your diaphragm, and finally your stomach. Breathe deeply once more, and as you breathe in, feel the energy and the wonder of the world around you in your fingers, your toes, your legs and shoulders, even the top of your head. As you exhale, wiggle your fingers and toes. Shake your legs and move your shoulders up and down. Take another deep breath and, as you exhale, move your head from side to side. Feel the ground under your body touching every nerve ending and muscle. Hear the rustlings of the people around you. Notice the movements outside. Continue breathing. Stretch your arms out above your head. You are returning to the present, to the here and now. Continue stretching. Continue breathing. When you are ready, open your eyes, blink and focus, and sit up.

Cerridwyn is in her isolated island home, in the middle of Llyn Tegid (now known as Bala Lake) in the northwest section of Wales. Her daughter and husband play no part in her story and, presumably, due to their respective beauty and size, are making their way peacefully through the world. Her son, Morfran, on the other hand, plays a prominent role. Also known as Afagddu, or “utter darkness”, Cerridwyn’s son has a gloomy disposition and an ugly outward appearance. She fears for him once he leaves the protection of her island home. Believing he will never be afforded the respect he deserves, she seeks to award him with other gifts that will compensate for his ugliness.

Cerridwyn studies long and hard, delving into her books of magick and sorcery, and finally alights on a spell that will help her son. She must gather herbs, whose properties will impart intellect, wisdom, inspiration, and skill. Through knowledge of the stars, she must throw them into a boiling cauldron at varying times throughout an entire year plus one day. The cauldron of inspiration and knowledge must be continually boiling during this entire time. After a year and a day, the combined power of the herbs and the stars will coalesce into three drops of the potion, forming a heady magickal brew. The rest will be deadly poison and will cause the cauldron to explode, seeping into the earth.

Armed with the information, she works non-stop for a year, gathering herbs, consulting her books, and reading the stars. She pours the waters of prophecy and inspiration into the cauldron, along with each herb and root and the foam of the ocean waters, all according to the movement of the stars. So that she can focus on her magickal goal, she employs a young boy, Gwion Bach, to stir the cauldron, and an old blind man, Morda, to tend the fire. Her son, during this year and a day, does not help at all. And so, in the end, he receives exactly what he deserves, according to his work ethic. Absolutely nothing.

Near the end of the year and a day, Cerridwyn, exhausted from her labours, having said all the incantations and added all the herbs, takes a much-needed rest. And somehow, during her slumbers, the three drops of power and wisdom and inspiration fall on the hand of the servant boy Gwion instead of her beloved son Morfran.

As the cauldron explodes from the powerful poison still inside, Cerridwyn wakes to find her son deprived of the potion’s power. Gwion, with his new knowledge and wisdom, realizes the full extent of Cerridwyn’s power and her rage and tries to escape to the lands of his family. Incensed with having worked an entire year for nothing, Cerridwyn beats the old man Morda with a heavy log, causing one of his eyeballs to pop out. “Mistress,” Morda says, “wrongfully hast thou disfigured me, for I am innocent. Thy loss was not because of me.” Cerridwyn acknowledges his wisdom and races off after the boy Gwion Bach.

The chase becomes a battle of magickal wills as each magician shape shifts from one animal to another. Gwion, upon seeing the furious Cerridwyn running after him, changes himself into a fleet-footed hare. Cerridwyn counters with the speed and grace of a greyhound. Just as her teeth nip at Gwion’s fuzzy hind legs, he morphs into a slippery fish and slides into a nearby river. Cerridwyn responds by transforming into a sleek, sharp otter and deftly glides after him. Feeling her pointed nails on his scales, Gwion alters his shape into that of a bird and rises above the earthbound Cerridwyn. She replaces her otter skin with that of a bird of prey, a sharp-eyed, sharp-taloned hawk, and soars after him. Realizing his mistake and tired from hours of using his new shape-shifting skills, Gwion spots a pile of newly winnowed wheat on a barn floor. Dropping close to the ground, he shifts into a grain of wheat and burrows amid all the other grains, sure that his disguise will confound the enraged Cerridwyn. However, Cerridwyn is more comfortable morphing from one animal to another and does not feel as tired as Gwion. Sensing his deception, Cerridwyn lands on the ground and changes into a high-crested black hen. In her new form, she promptly eats all the grains of wheat in the pile, including Gwion.

In seed form, Gwion takes root inside Cerridwyn, and before long, she is pregnant with him. Understandably upset and feeling thwarted, Cerridwyn vows to destroy Gwion as soon as he is born. She carries him for nine months, but after his birth, she does not have the heart to destroy the beautiful, golden-haired baby. Instead, she wraps him in a leather bag and tosses him into a raging river on April 29th. He is found a day later by the son of a wealthy nobleman. Struck by the beauty of the boy, he names the baby Taliesin, which means “radiant brow”. Taliesin recalls all of the knowledge and inspiration that he learned from Cerridwyn’s cauldron when he was Gwion. With such wisdom, he becomes the most noted, most talented of Celtic bards and poets.

Friday, March 6, 2009

1) In all that you do, consider its benefit or harm upon yourself, your children and your people.

2) All that which you do will return to you, sooner or later, for good or for ill. Thus strive always to do good to others, or at least strive always to be just.

3) Be honest with yourself, and with others. “This above all; to thine own self be true”.

4) Humankind, and especially your own family and folk, has the spark of divinity within it. Protect and nurture that spark.

5) Give your word sparingly, and adhere to it like iron.

6) In the world, your first trust and responsibility should be to your own people. Yet, be kind and proper to others whenever possible.

7) What you have, HOLD!

8) Pass on to others only those words which you have personally verified.

9) Be honest with others, and let them know that you expect honesty in return, always.

10) The fury of the moment play folly with the truth; to keep one’s head is a virtue.

11) Know which battles should be fought, and which battles should be avoided. Also, know when to break off a conflict. There are times when the minions of chaos are simply too strong or when fate is absolutely unavoidable.

12) When you gain power, use it carefully and use it well.

13) Courage and honour endure forever. Their echoes remain when the mountains have crumbled to dust.

14) Pledge friendships and your services to those who are worthy. Strengthen others of your people and they will strengthen you.

15) Love and care for your family always, and have the fierceness of a wolf when you must.

16) Honour yourself, have pride in yourself, do your best and forgive yourself when you must.

17) Try always to be above reproach in the eyes of the world.

18) Those of our people should always endeavour to settle any differences among themselves quietly and peaceably.

19) The laws of the land should be obeyed whenever possible and reason, for in the main they have been chosen with wisdom.

20) Have pride in yourself, your family, and your folk. They are your promise for the future.

21) Do not neglect your mate and children.

22) Every one of our people should work according to the best that s/he can do, no matter how small or how great. We are all in this world together, thus we must always help each other along.

23) One advances individually and collectively only by living in harmony with the natural order of the world.

24) The seeking of wisdom is a high virtue. Love of truth, honour, courage, and loyalty are the hallmarks of the noble soul.

25) Be prepared for whatever the future brings.

26) Life with all its joys, struggles and ambiguities is to be embraced and lived to the fullest!

Choose a legend involving one of your Otherworld guides, read it again and again, until you are completely familiar with it, and then visualize the whole legend unfolding before you in your Otherworld landscape. Not only should you visualize the legend taking place before you, but you must also see yourself taking an active part in it.

Don’t just stand on the sidelines and watch it as if you were watching a film, or play. All of the legends have characters within them, either named or implied, which for the purposes of this exercise, you could become, and thereby take an active role in the events unfolding before you. Do not assume the role of the main character, but rather adopt a minor role. Be content to participate at such a slight level that you are still left with plenty of opportunity to observe what the others are doing.

It is only by becoming an integral part of the legends that you will start to understand what the legend is saying, and not just what it appears to say on the surface. This is also the way that you will understand and appreciate how many deities and characters interact with each other, and how they behave in any given situation. These are all things which are vital to know, if you are ever to make full use of your Otherworld contacts.

(This exercise involves the construction of an Otherworld landscape, in which you will eventually meet and converse with the many Otherworld contacts who work through the Irish Celtic magickal tradition.)

Ideally, this Otherworld landscape should contain a river with a lord, a large open plain, mountains, woodlands (which can include your own grove), a seashore, and a large, Celtic-style fort. This fort should be constructed of wood and surrounded by a palisade, and should be typical of the period (definitely not a later, stone-built mediaeval castle).

Spend some time on this exercise, and construct in your visual imagination, as clearly as possible, this Otherworld version of the physical Green World. You will be spending a good deal of time here as you make progress. When you get the chance, even in day-dream if not actually in meditation, close your eyes and see your Otherworld landscape unfolding before you. Go for walks in the woods. Stroll along the banks of the river. Cross the ford and see what is on the other side. Climb the mountains. Watch the wildlife on the plain. Have a good look around the outside of the fort and see what it is like inside. Explore its many rooms and outbuildings until you are completely familiar with it. Remember to open up all of your Otherworld senses, not just sight, and do all the things you would do in this world. Smell the air, and the scents of the trees and flowers around you. Touch the earth, the trees, rocks and anything interesting lying around. Feel the wind on your face, and notice any changes in temperature. Listen to the birds singing, hear the river bubbling over the wet rocks. Feel totally at one with the Otherworld life forces as you walk about this green and fertile place.

Do not, for the moment, visualize anyone else being with you. That will come later. Just enjoy the solitude and feeling of belonging that comes with the construction of your own Otherworld place of work and study.

Start by visualizing Ireland as a flat plain with no rivers, lakes, or mountains on its surface. Despite this, it is teaming with wildlife and many different types of trees and plants. There is a feeling of tranquility and stability about the place and you instinctively know that everything is in perfect harmony.

Once you have a good mental picture of this virgin Ireland, visualize the arrival of Cessair with her original ships and crew. See her vessels in the form that feels most suitable to you. Visualize her and her companions as clearly as possible. Hear them speak in whatever voice or language feels appropriate. Most important, while you are visualizing all of this, see and feel how the land of Ireland itself reacts to this incoming of people where there were no people before. See and feel new rivers, lakes, and mountains erupt forth from the smooth plains. Feel how the island joyously becomes aware of its growing potential. Realize that the coming of Cessair has awakened the energies of Ireland and helped it start to progress and mature from the influences and energies the people bring with them, just as human beings, as infants, learn from the influence and energies of others around them, and start to become individuals in their own right.

Eventually Cessair and her companions die, but the changes made to the land remain. A period of inactivity now follows, and the consciousness of Ireland, which has been so stimulated, starts to slip back into a sleep like state. See now the arrival of Partholon and his followers. Again, see and feel how the land reacts to these newcomers. More rivers, lakes, and mountains appear, and the consciousness of Ireland advances a bit more. Like Cessair’s people, though, Partholon’s also eventually die, and Ireland falls back into its state of inactivity. This is interrupted by the arrival of Neimheadh, and the whole process starts again, with the outer face of Ireland changing once more, and with its mental and spiritual self progressing and learning from these new shapers of its appearance.

Feel these changes taking place, not only on the surface of the island, with the four Elemental building blocks of the physical world - Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. Carry on this visual and emotional exercise by studying the various invaders and their effects on Ireland, right up until the arrival of the Tuatha De Danann. Remember to include the arrival of the Fir Bolg, even though they did not change the land, and, to a certain extent, had a negative influence on it.

Once you reach the stage of the arrival of the Tuatha De Danann, stop your mental advance through the centuries and see how Ireland looks and feels at the time of her most influential invaders. Realize that the Tuatha De Danann were the first invaders who recognized, understood, and Worked with the creative forces of the physical level, and who were aware of, and Worked with the creative forces of the mental and spiritual levels as well. It is this state of total awareness and harmony which these exercises are designed to help you achieve.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Grind the herbs with mortar and pestle just enough to break them up and release their aroma, not enough to pulverize them. Boil one cup of distilled water. Take one half of your herbal mixture and place in center of a paper coffee filter. Twist filter tightly. Place filter in the cup of hot water. Remove after one hour; throw soaked herbs away. Refrigerate sunshine brew, and be sure to label DO NOT DRINK. To use, empower at sunrise or at noon. Add a crystal to the brew for more power.

Place your written wish in front of you on your altar. Take a deep breath, and exhale slowly. Hold your hands over the wish, saying:

“Power of the east, winds of sacred birthGather all your force and bring desire to earth.Power of the south, winds of hot creationSeparate the earth by fire, refine this incantation.Power of the west, winds of down belowBubble up to meet the sky and make the pattern so!Power of the north, winds of sacred treasureSolidify my own desire and formulate the measure!Power of Spirit, winds of dusk and dawnAlign the planets in their places, words convey the song!Power of myself, the winds of my demandThrice I speak to penetrate and bring about my plan!”

Clearly speak your desire three times.

Burn your wish paper in your cauldron.

Let the ashes loose upon the wind so that the Elementals can grasp your wish properly.

Wind of Spirit, inner fireBring the change that I desireEarthly gifts of stable groundSky to bring the spirit downRain to nourish, sun to lightMountain guards and moon for sightLightning sparks to make connectionThunder roils to merge perfection. Wood and stone and nature’s breathInner magick coalesceMetal bends and shapes and coolsStill-point silence - HedgeWitch rules!

HedgeWitch power I invokeHeaven’s prayers like sacred smokeClear the way to manifestThat desire which I think best!Holy vial of glass and goldAllow my treasure to unfoldWith candle spark and vibrant flameI conjure that which I dost name!Sacred vessel, create the fieldPattern rise and thought congealCoalesce and make it rightSpirit, lend thy holy lightTo conjure this most special brewOf my desire and morning dew!Power grows and comes to meAs I will, so mote it be!

2) Take the cup of water, and sprinkle the water clockwise around the faerie ring, starting and ending at the east point.

3) Light the candle. Dedicate it to your faerie godmother by saying:

“May this light guide my faerie godmother to me tonight.”

4) Sit comfortably with your notebook and pen on your lap, and breathe deeply in time with the soft music for a few minutes while focusing on the candle flame to center your awareness. Then write this question in your notebook:

“In what ways can I bring more magick into my life?”

Continue to focus your attention on the candle flame. Keep watching the flame, and imagine contacting your faerie godmother. Think about what your ideal faerie godmother would be like. Continue breathing deeply to the music to more clearly visualize the details of your faerie godmother. Write these details in your notebook.

5) Now return your focus to the candle flame. Imagine your ideal faerie godmother stepping out of the candle flame and into the room with you. You feel a bright expansive feeling, and you know magick is afoot. Imagine your faerie godmother speaking your name and smiling brightly at you. When she calls you by name, it might be more like a whisper or a thought. Keep breathing deeply, and ask your faerie godmother the question you wrote in your notebook. Repeat the question a total of three times. Each time you ask her the question, take a few minutes and write down any answers she gives you. The answers might come in words, thoughts, pictures, or sensations. Just be open to the communication and make note of anything you receive without analyzing it too much.

When you’re done, thank her and blow out the candle.

6) As you drift off to sleep, leave the faerie ring and circle intact. Repeat over and over to yourself:

“Faerie Godmother, dream with me tonight.”

In the morning, write down everything you recall about your dreams in your notebook. At this time, bid farewell to your faerie guardian by standing or sitting at the center of the circle, ringing the bell once, and saying:

“Faerie Watchers of all directionsI bid you farewell.Please depart in peace and love.Thank you for our presence.”

Ring the bell once more, and say:

“Blessed be! Evo-He!”

7) Pull up your faerie circle and ring. Face east and hold your power hand outward. Slowly turn in a counterclockwise. As you do this, imagine the blue-white light of the circle being drawn back up into your hand. Then do the same thing with the green light circle. Scatter the flowers in the ring. Next, erase the ring mark with the heel of your shoe or with your hand if you are doing this ritual outdoors. Do this in a counterclockwise motion. When you are done, face center, ring the bell once, and say,

“Blessed be! Evo-He!”

8) For the next 21 nights, as you are drifting to sleep, repeat the phrase over and over:

(The faerie realm mirrors our world but is just out of our range of perception.)

Items Needed:

* Celtic music, other dance music

* a bowl filled with earth

* pinch of thyme

* seven small white stones

1) Begin by turning on the music.

2) Put the bowl of earth in front of you.

3) Cover the top of the earth with the pinch of thyme.

4) Put the stones in seven points around the bowl as if they are the points of an elvenstar.

5) “To the woods and other lands,With an elf and faerie in hand.Mind and spirit, now set free,Open the faerie door, so I may see.”

6) Close your eyes for a minute or so, and imagine descending a long, natural rock stairway into the earth. At the end of the stairs is a circular doorway. Imagine opening the door and stepping into the magickal other land of the faeries. Enjoy yourself as you experience the delight of faerieland. Continue doing to for several minutes. Allow the candle to safely burn down and the music to continue playing as long as you like.

7) When you are done, return the soil, thyme, and stones to the earth.

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I'm 30 and have been a practicing Wiccan for 16 years! :) I'm passionate about things that mean a lot to me, can be off-the-wall and very personable. :) I love to scrapbook and sell my creations in my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/butterflypromqueen?ref=si_shopI'm also obsessed with anime and horror movies! :D